Car side construction.



Patented July 1, 1913.

W. E. FOWLER, SR. GAR SIDE CONSTRUCTION. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 13, 1912.

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WILLIAM E. FOWLER, SR., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO FOWLER CAR COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

CAR SIDE CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 1,1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM E. FOWLER, S12, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car Side C011- struction, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to railway cars and has particular reference to a novel car side construction.

The invention is particularly applicable to steel frame single sheath cars such as shown and described in my prior Patent No. 962,425. It will be understood in such cars the boards forming the sheath are placed horizontally instead of vertically as has been commonly the custom. It also follows that in the use of such cars for the transportation of grain and similar finely divided materials the car-floor and sides must be kept tight in order to overcome leakage. In single sheath cars this is accomplished by drawing the boards into closer engagement by means of screw or wedge power. It follows, however, that the side boards must be attached to the metallic frame of the car in such manner as to permit limited vertical movement in order to secure the tightening effect. This has heretofore been accomplished by slotting the metallic members at the points where the fastening bolts engage the frame. This method is objectionable in many ways; first, because of the cost of slotting and a consequent weakening of the metallic frame, and, second, because of the limited movement permitted in any slots which may be formed. A further objection to the slotting of the metallic members of the frame is found in the fact that to secure a proper tightening effect the slots in the metallic frame should be of different lengths from top to bottom of the members, this for the reason that assuming a uniform shrinkage of the side boards from top to bottom, it will be seen that to secure tigl'itening of the bottom members there must be an extended movement of the top members assuming the tightening force is exerted from the top. It is, of course, not practicable to form slots of different lengths in the height of the posts. Therefore I have devised means whereby the expense of slotting is avoided, the holding power of the side bolts is not decreased, the movement of the boards in tightening is unlimited and the general upkeep expense of the car is lowered.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the drawings, wherein,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a fragment of a car side showing a portion of a vertical post with my novel attaching means secured thereto; Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the construction shown in Fig. l; and Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 are similar cross-sectional views of modifications of the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, it will be seen that in the preferred construction the car side, composed of boards 10, placed edge on edge and lying horizontally are adapted to be secured to a vertical post, 11, in the form of a commercial channel. Bolts 12 are passed through the side boards on each side of the vertical member and through apertures in a cross bar, 18, spanning the flanges of the channel and providing a bearing for the fastening nuts 14. A very secure fastening is thus provided which fastening permits unlimited movement of the boards vertically in order to secure the tightening effect.

In Fig. 8 a somewhat similar construction is shown in that across-bar spans the flanges of the channel, the tightening effect being secured by two nuts. However, the cross bar is a part of the two bolts, thus forming a U-bolt, 15, the ends of the bolt passing through apertures in the boards terminating in recesses 16, within which is seated the nuts 17. This construction is desirable in many ways, in that the fastening nuts are not exposed to the weather and do not therefore become corroded. However, substantially the same advantages accrue to this construction as to that shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In Fig. 4 another modification is shown in which the same holding effect is secured on the flanges of the channel, the effect being secured, however, by one bolt. In this construction, I have provided two angles 18, placed face to face instead of the channel as in the preceding figures. In the space between the flanges of the angles I seat a short bolt, 19, which bolt also passes through an aperture in the depressed portion of a cross bar 20, and is held by a nut 21. The bar is bent upwardly from the bolt attaching point, the ends of the bar terminating in hooks, 22, which pass over the outwardly projecting flanges of the angles. A particular advantage in this construction is in that a much shorter bolt may be used and the maximum holding power of the bolt exerted to not only hold the boards to the post but to secure the posts together making them in the nature of a rigid structure such as the channel.

In Figs. 5 and 6 I have combined the constructions of Figs. 2 and 4, securing the advantage of the economy following the use of a single bolt, yet providing for unlimited inovement of the boards with respect to the posts. In both the constructions shown in F igsi 5 and 6 I provide two angles 28, placed face to face, leaving a space therebetween within which I seat a bolt 24-. This bolt passes through an aperture in a cross bar 25, the ends of which are bent down and thus hook over the flanges of the channels 23.

In order to brace the center of the cross bar 25 I provide in Fig. 4 a strut of triangular form, having an aperture therethrough at the apex otthe triangle to accomi'nodat-e the bolt 24, the legs of the strut diverging and bearing against the angle-members at their inner corners. Fig. 6 I have provided a thimble 27 through which the bolt 2& passes the thimble supporting the cross bar.

Other modifications may be made by those skilled in the art and such modifications as In the construction of are within the scope of my claims I consider within the spirit of my invention.

I claim: I

1. In a car side, the combination of a plurality of horizontally placed boards, a post of-general channel-shape, the web of said post being located in the plane of said boardsand fastening means passingthrough the boards and having a bearing on both the projecting flanges of said channelshaped post, substantially as described.

2. In a car, the combination of a wall composed of horizontally placed boards, a metallic post-of generally channel-shape, a bar spanning the flanges of said channel,

and fastening means passing through said boards and said bar and adapted to secure the parts together and permit unlimited movement of said boards relative to the length of said post, substantially as described.

3. In a car, the combination of a wall composed of boards horizontally placed, a channel-shaped post, across bar spanning the flanges of said channel, and fastening bolts passing-th'rough'said boards and said cross bar, one on each side of said channel, whereby the parts are secured together, substantially as described.

Gno. G. DAvIsoN, 'I. D. BUTLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of late'nts, Washington, D. G. 

